Qualcomm AR picture demo puts you in the frame (Video)

Qualcomm has demoed a new type of AR picture frame that will allow you to take a picture on your phone, then display it instantly on a picture frame on wall, just by pointing the handset in the right direction.

Demoing the new tech at the company's Innovation Qualcomm (IQ) event in London on Wednesday, the company's CEO used a HTC handset to take a picture before beaming it to a picture frame on stage.

As Jacobs scanned across the picture frames on the wall, a digital graphical marker appeared on screen highlighting the frame the phone was pointed towards.

Pressing an on-screen button within the software on the phone, the image was instantly transferred to the right photo frame for all to see.

The demo, supposed to show what is possible with Augmented Reality, is designed to illustrate theoretical uses for smartphones and devices in the future. Qualcomm didn't say when the tech and the magic photo frames would be available.

UPDATE: We've since now had a chance to have a hands-on play with the new prototype technology and have to say we are pretty impressed. The head of AR at Qualcomm kindly walked us through the technology before we got snapped and beamed to one of the picture frames.

While the technology works, it should be made clear that those picture frames are, for demonstration purposes, actually monitors, with a PC running behind the wall. But, what's interesting is that the technology doesn't need you to register the picture frames, it just knows what images you have on the device and works out the rest, thanks to the company's AR SDK, being rolled out shortly for all developers to play with.

Qualcomm says that, currently, there are no plans to make the technology commercially available, it is proof of concept at present, but is certainly great fun.